Cities cut parking minimums (right) • Hackensack PILOT audit finds $5.4M unpaid • Madison, WI bus TOD • Texas: density before rail • Vancouver advances transit villages (left top-to-bottom)
Article of the Week
To Promote More Housing, Cities and States Target Parking Minimums
Robbie Sequeira, Stateline | July 8, 2026
States and cities nationwide are reducing or eliminating minimum parking requirements for new development to help lower housing costs. Since 2019, at least 14 states and 116 cities have adopted laws limiting parking minimums.
NJ TOD News
CRANFORD—Dating Back to 1871, This 5-Square-Mile Riverside Town Is Hiding a 1908 Canoe Club — and It Is an Easy 18-Mile Train Ride from New York City
Natalia Alvarez, Secret NYC | July 10, 2026
Cranford, a designated Transit Village, offers a vibrant downtown, historic homes, and canoeing along the Rahway River. Visitors can reach the town via NJ TRANSIT’s Cranford Station on the Raritan Valley Line.
JERSEY CITY—Rockpoint, Urby Create Joint Venture to Build Waterfront Apartment Tower in New Jersey
Staff, ROI-NJ | July 9, 2026
Rockpoint and Urby announced plans for 201 Hudson, a 69-story mixed-use development on the Jersey City waterfront. The project would include 748 market-rate units and 10,000 sq. ft. of retail space within walking distance of the Grove Street and Exchange Place PATH stations and the Harborside HBLR Station.
NEW BRUNSWICK—$1.5 Billion Project in New Brunswick’s Fourth Ward Takes Step Forward
Chuck O’Donnell | TAPinto New Brunswick | July 7, 2026
The New Brunswick Housing Authority approved plans to advance Fourward Hill, a mixed-use development that would replace the affordable Schwartz Homes and Robeson Village apartments. The project would include around 2,000 units, with 400 to 500 units partially subsidized workforce housing, within walking distance of New Brunswick Station.
Study Says More Than 3 Million New Jersey Residents Struggle to Afford Basic Needs
Krystal Knapp, The Jersey Vindicator | July 7, 2026
A Legal Services of New Jersey study found that more than 3 million residents struggle to afford basic needs, far more than those living below the federal poverty level. New Jersey ranked third among states in cost of living, with high rents leaving little money for essentials such as childcare and transportation.
HACKENSACK—Hackensack Audit Finds $5.4 Million in Unpaid PILOT Revenue From Luxury Developments
Meagan Kane, TAPinto Hackensack | July 6, 2026
Hackensack announced that an audit of the City’s PILOT agreements identified at least $5.4 million in unpaid revenue from luxury developments. If developers continue to violate agreements, the City will terminate the PILOTs, returning the properties to the municipal tax rolls.
Transit and Equity News
A Third of Young Adults Still Live With Their Parents
Daniela Gorny, The New York Times | July 8, 2026
A Realtor.com report found that one-third of adults under 35 live with their parents, nearly matching the pandemic-era peak of 34 percent. The increase is driven by housing affordability and limited supply rather than employment.
WISCONSIN—Madison Offering at Least $10 Million for Affordable Rental Projects Near Bus Routes
Staff, Realtor.com | July 8, 2026
Madison will release more than $10 million from its Affordable Housing Fund to support projects that reserve at least 20 percent of units for households earning less than 30 percent of the Area Median Income. Developments within a quarter mile of high-frequency bus service will receive priority.
Monthly New Car Payments Hit a Record $777 as Cars Become More and More Unaffordable
Andy Kalmowitz, Jalopnik | July 7, 2026
The average monthly new car payment reached a record $777 in second quarter of 2026 as average prices climbed to nearly $52,000. Buyers increasingly rely on long-term financing, with a record 23.9 percent taking out loans lasting 7 years or longer.
Regional and National TOD News
MASSACHUSETTS—In 3 Boston-Area Cities, New Shelters Make Transit Cooler for Walkers, Bikers
Avery Bleichfeld, The Bay State Banner | July 9, 2026
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization installed four shaded bus shelters to protect transit riders from extreme heat, using a heat mapping dataset to target the hottest locations. The project received funding as part of the two-year NO-HEAT pilot program, and the MPO now seeks funds to continue the initiative.
TEXAS—They Heard the Whistle Blow, 30 Years in Advance
Robert Steuteville, Congress for New Urbanism | July 9, 2026
Thirty years after construction began, Addison Circle, an 80-acre, 3,000-unit mixed-use development in Addison, Texas, gained transit access with the opening of DART’s Silver Line. The project achieved downtown-level density well before rail service arrived, demonstrating how transit-friendly planning can prepare communities for future transit.
NEW YORK—Mamdani Promised Faster Buses. Now He Has a Roadmap.
Stefanos Chen, The New York Times | July 8, 2026
Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul released “Next Stop: Faster Buses, Better Service,” a plan to improve New York City’s bus system. The proposal calls for purchasing 2,500 new buses, adding five rapid bus corridors, and increasing speeds by 20 percent by 2030.
CALIFORNIA—San Diego to Get More Transit Housing Density as SB 79 Row Settles
Richard Lawson, Housing Wire | July 6, 2026
The San Diego Association of Governments released a draft zoning map identifying 21 bus stops eligible for high-density development under SB 79, compared with the City’s proposal to allow such development near four stops. Policy experts estimate this proposal could allow up to 100,000 additional housing units.
NEW YORK—Riverhead Revives Train Station Redevelopment Plan With New RFP
Denise Civiletti, Riverhead Local | July 6, 2026
Riverhead issued an RFP for a housing-led, mixed-use redevelopment of the town-owned parking lot across from the Riverhead LIRR station. Proposals for the long-planned Railroad Avenue transit-oriented development are due by August 24, with the Town seeking 100 to 200 owner-occupied housing units.
International TOD News
Why US Train Travel Lags Behind Asia and Europe
Refael Kubersky, DW | July 5, 2026
Despite rising ridership, aging infrastructure, freight-oriented rail networks, and decades of underinvestment continue to limit passenger rail in the United States. Policy experts, including NYU Marron Institute fellow Alon Levy, point to proven high-speed rail technologies and practices from Europe and Asia as models for improvement.
CANADA—Vancouver City Council to Decide on Plan to Create 17 New Village Areas With Low-Rise Residential and Retail Uses
Kenneth Chan, Daily Hive | July 4, 2026
Vancouver City Council is advancing its Villages Plan, which would rezone about 13,000 lots across 17 low-density neighborhood nodes. The proposal would allow for four- to six-story buildings, with up to eight stories in Transit Oriented Areas. If approved, the changes would take effect in October as part of the City’s CAN$120 million federal Housing Accelerator Fund agreement.